Fiji National University
 | |
| Type | Public University |
|---|---|
| Established | 2010 |
| Chancellor | Mr. Ikbal Jannif |
| Students | 20,000+ |
| Location |
Fiji 18°08′30″S 178°26′31″E / 18.1416°S 178.4419°ECoordinates: 18°08′30″S 178°26′31″E / 18.1416°S 178.4419°E |
| Campus |
Nasinu Campus, Nadi Campus, Raiwai Campus (Unistudio), Samabula Campus, Lautoka Campus, Sigatoka Campus, Rakiraki Campus, Ba Campus |
| Website | http://www.fnu.ac.fj/ |
Fiji National University[1] (FNU) formed in 2010 as a result of a merger between six institutions in Fiji, namely the Fiji Institute of Technology, Fiji School of Nursing, Fiji College of Advanced Education, Lautoka Teachers College, Fiji School of Medicine and Fiji College of Agriculture.
FNU now has campuses and centres at 33 locations throughout the country, running a total of approximately 30 different courses and programmes with a staff complement of more than 1800 and in January 2012, hitting a record student enrolment of more than 20,000.
History
Although it was formally established in 2010, Fiji National University has a long history of relevant education dating back to the origins of its component Colleges, through institutions that were established according to national needs and aspirations as these developed. The following is a brief summary of the history of some of the colleges;
College of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences
The College of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences is located at a number of centres around Suva, including the new Pasifika Campus opposite the Colonial War Memorial Hospital.
In the case of the highly respected former Fiji School of Medicine, now part of the FNU College of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, there is more than 125 years of academic history.
The former Fiji School of Medicine was originally established in 1885 as the Suva Medical School to train vaccinators. It has since developed into the premier medical institute of the South Pacific and continues to strive towards excellence in the training and education of health professionals in the region. It has produced many motivated and skilled health care professionals who are now serving in key positions in the Pacific and overseas.The School now provides training in most health science disciplines including medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, physiotherapy, radiography, laboratory technology, public health, health services management, dietetics and environmental health.
The former Fiji School of Nursing is one of the oldest nursing education institutions in the Pacific and has been in existence since 1893. Now part of the FNU College of Medicine, Nursing and Health Science, the School offers basic and post-basic nursing programmes for Fiji and regional students. Graduates are capable of working in general health services, maternal and child health care service, mental health service, and, in urban, rural and remote community health services.
The merger of the Fiji School of Medicine and the Fiji School of under into the Fiji National University saw the creation of five schools under the College of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences: the School of Health Sciences; the School of Oral Health; the School of Medical Sciences; the School of Public Health and Primary Care and School of Nursing.
Institute of Technology
The former Fiji Institute of Technology (FIT) is now part of the FNU College of Engineering, Science and Technology and is the University’s Samabula Campus. It was originally established in 1963 to train students in technical and vocational disciplines, to meet the engineering human resource needs of Fiji. The College provides education to cater for the total human resource needs of Fiji and the South Pacific in the areas of engineering, technology, including information technology and electronics, marine training and in the sciences.
The then FIT was also a starting point for the College of Business, Hospitality and Tourism Studies, which is now also located in a number of different centres, including the new Nadi Campus in the heart of Fiji’s tourism industry. The main administration centre of Fiji National University, including the hub of its extensive teacher training faculty, is located at what was once Fiji’s prestigious Queen Victoria School (known as "Vuli-Ni-Tu"), established at Nasinu in 1907. In 1947, the school was relocated to Matavatucou, Tailevu Province, and the facilities were used to establish the Nasinu Teachers College, a primary teacher training institution. In 1982, it underwent some changes and re-opened as the Nasinu Residential College for students. In the 1990s, an Australian aid programme helped establish training for secondary teachers and in 1992 the Fiji College of Advanced Education opened at the Nasinu site.
In 2009, FIT established three research centres, aimed at advancing core clusters of research that are relevant to Fiji and the Pacific:
- The Centre for Applied Economic Research aims to undertake applied research in all areas related to economic development of Fiji.
- The Centre for Sustainable Technology and Development aims to enhance research and development work in all areas of technology for development.
- The Centre for Drama and Creative Arts aims to enhance all aspects of drama and visual & creative arts.
Lautoka Teachers College
Meanwhile, the Lautoka Teachers College was established in 1978 as the country’s largest pre-service provider of primary teachers and recently secondary school teachers also. This has become part of the University’s College of Humanities and Education and is now the FNU Lautoka Campus with some of the proams also being offered in Suva, Nasinu Campus. The Humanities Department of this College, including its remarkable and widely known music section, is based on the Raiwai Campus (UniStudio) in Suva.
College of Agriculture
The Fiji College of Agriculture was established in 1954 to meet the human resource needs of the country in all areas of agriculture. That College was further developed into the University’s College of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry on the Koronivia Campus. It places great emphasis on research in agriculture and there are excellent opportunities provided for development. It is now formally known as the College of Agriculture, Fisheries & Forestry (CAFF). ( by shiyaz)
Training and Productivity Authority of Fiji
The Training and Productivity Authority of Fiji (TPAF), formerly known as the Fiji National Training Council, was established in 1973 by the Fiji National Training Act. It established the National Qualifications Framework to benchmark training and qualifications in technical and trade areas against a national standard, based on the needs of local industries, and iscomparable with overseas qualifications. TPAF became part of FNU in 2011 as the National Training and Productivity Centre (NTPC) to run the University’s short courses in areas ranging from senior executive level management and leadership to innovative technical courses specifically designed for local conditions.
Colleges
The Fiji National University comprises 5 Colleges spread throughout the country. The University has 15 libraries around Fiji.
The College of Medicine, Nursing & Health Sciences contains the Fiji School of Medicine and the Fiji School of Nursing.
The College of Business, Hospitality & Tourism Studies has business degree programmes which are nationally accredited. The College’s programmes are all vetted by the relevant Industry Advisory Committees before being approved by the University’s Senate. Accreditation for some programmes such as Accounting is also provided by the professional body, the Fiji Institute of Accountants. Currently FNU has programmes in two streams, the Technical & Vocational Education Training Stream and the Higher Education Stream. With the aim to take education closer to the community, FNU programmes particularly in Accounting, Economics, Computing Science and others, are all offered via 5 campuses around Fiji including Nadi, Lautoka, Ba and Labasa. FNU is currently rolling out postgraduate programmes on a number of commerce subjects.
The College of Humanities & Education contains the School of Social Sciences, and the School Of Education. After the merger in 2010, the School of Education modified its teacher training curriculum. The main campus for teacher training is located in Lautoka with specific programs available in other parts of the country as well.
The College of Engineering, Science & Technology offers a variety of academic programmes of study, with the Samabula Campus hosting most of the programs.
The College of Agriculture, Fisheries & Forestry is connected to a number of other public and private national institutions with whom it collaborates in training, research and community service. Currently all CAFF programs are offered at the Koronivia Campus, in Koronivia, Nausori.